Was thinking about the promises Motorola broke when I thought of something.

[STARGATE]

Well, I had come to the decision! I will try to get out of contract from Sprint without paying the fees for that! If it works I will get the Nexus 4 with T-Mobile.

Sent from my Photon 4G that Stupid Motorola will not upgrade to ICS or any other newer form of Android because they're a bunch of lying bastards (and deserve to go to hell!) using Android Central Forums

 

[Ry]

The $100 trade in is an insult. They owe me much more than that. I estimate that I should get at least $300 cash! When I have time, I may check into filing in small claims court.

LOL!!!

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Android Central Forums

 

[Lokifish Marz]

Sales numbers for the phone not enough to justify supporting a new version of Android.

They only sold a millions of Tegra2 phones world wide. That's surely not enough to justify updating any of them even though every other manufacturer that released T2 phones managed to at least update some on them.

 

[Ry]

They only sold a millions of Tegra2 phones world wide. That's surely not enough to justify updating any of them even though every other manufacturer that released T2 phones managed to at least update some on them.

But they probably sold way more OMAP phones.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Android Central Forums

 

[Lokifish Marz]

Still not a valid argument though. It's not a matter of units sold as other manufacturers that sold far fewer T2 based devices were able to update theirs. It's also not a matter of it can't be done. If an untrained person can dev and release almost completely stable ROMs (missing source for HW acc and camera) in his spare time there is absolutely no reason why a team of paid/trained professionals cannot. One halfway decent dev with source could of had it done in a matter of days. The Photon and Electrify are so close the the base code is interchangeable and with source and some extra work can be made to function on the Atrix. You can scriptkiddy a semi functional port with nothing more than copy/paste of very basic commands.

 

[Ry]

Still not a valid argument though. It's not a matter of units sold as other manufacturers that sold far fewer T2 based devices were able to update theirs. It's also not a matter of it can't be done. If an untrained person can dev and release almost completely stable ROMs (missing source for HW acc and camera) in his spare time there is absolutely no reason why a team of paid/trained professionals cannot. One halfway decent dev with source could of had it done in a matter of days. The Photon and Electrify are so close the the base code is interchangeable and with source and some extra work can be made to function on the Atrix. You can scriptkiddy a semi functional port with nothing more than copy/paste of very basic commands.

Let me know if I missed any, but these are the Tegra 2 smartphones from Motorola:

Atrix
Photon
Electrify

What other manufacturers do is irrelevant. Their time, resources, and priorities have no bearing on what Motorola can do.

Anyone can release a "stable" ROM. But who's accountable if things go wrong? Stringent testing, carrier acceptance tests, etc. It's not as simple as you would like it to be.

Bottom line, Motorola looked at their available resources and made a conscious decision as to what support they could give to each device. The Photon didn't make the cut.

 

[Lokifish Marz]

So in short, expect no support for any device from any manufacturer and feel privileged if you get it. Also expect no ethical business practices either as the ICS upgrade for the Photon was made a key selling point.

You are correct about it not being simple, my years in both development, the telcom industry, and writing SOP's for phone repair has taught me that. The current practice is to screw customers whenever you can in the name of profit and hope you don't get caught, but if you do, there's always somebody to take their place. The entire consumer tech industry is like that.

 

[Ry]

So in short, expect no support for any device from any manufacturer and feel privileged if you get it. Also expect no ethical business practices either as the ICS upgrade for the Photon was made a key selling point.

You are correct about it not being simple, my years in both development, the telcom industry, and writing SOP's for phone repair has taught me that. The current practice is to screw customers whenever you can in the name of profit and hope you don't get caught, but if you do, there's always somebody to take their place. The entire consumer tech industry is like that.

Here is the Motorola press release about the launch of the Photon.

Motorola PHOTON 4G Debuts on July 31 for $199.99 - Press Releases - Motorola Mobility LLC

ICS was not a key selling point.

And I'm pretty sure the Motorola Android Software Upgrade News page always had the "All dates and status subject to change" disclaimer.

 

[Lokifish Marz]

Then the regional Motorola rep should have kept his mouth shut as he told the entire sales team at multiple locations that the Photon would receive ICS and to push that as a sales point. As far as the disclaimer you are correct. It also extends to not providing much needed security updates short of a court order.

My anger is not directed at you but the industry as a whole and consumers for letting this continue and even helping to make the problem worse. Hopefully the projected 10% turn over rate of Moto customers does actually happen as that is tens of millions in lost sales in the 4th quarter. I know that I'm directly and indirectly responsible for a couple million of that.

 

[Utah_Utes_Man]

AMEN! I feel the same way you do, go here Support My Moto and sign the petitions, send a complaint to the FTC. It just may get enough attention to at least get a proper bootloader unlock.

 

[Slender Troll]

I would sign it if i could, but I cant because my phone's/nook color's browser won't let me scroll down when I get to it.

Motorola Photon 4G

 

[jhasty]

I am voting with my feet. I've ordered a LG Optimus G. It looks like it will have an unlockable bootloader in case a situation like this develops again.

Moto, I hope you Google overseers do a house cleaning.

 

[Lokifish Marz]

AMEN! I feel the same way you do, go here Support My Moto and sign the petitions, send a complaint to the FTC. It just may get enough attention to at least get a proper bootloader unlock.

LOL. That reminds me that I need to update the site this week. Planning on an official change in tactics.

 

[Derek_B]

I am voting with my feet. I've ordered a LG Optimus G. It looks like it will have an unlockable bootloader in case a situation like this develops again.

Moto, I hope you Google overseers do a house cleaning.

I voted with my feet as well and bought a Galaxy Nexus to ride out the rest of my Sprint contract and also actually get OS updates. I really hope the petition has some effect, but I'm afraid that only a noticeable exodus of customers and money will get Motorola's attention. Unfortunately, It seems to me that they have written customers on carriers other than Verizon off already and nothing will get them to care.

 

[STARGATE]

Moto, I hope you Google overseers do a house cleaning.

Yea! I hope those idiots that made the decision to leave us Photon owners on GB and not giving us open bootloaters get kicked out!

I voted with my feet as well and bought a Galaxy Nexus to ride out the rest of my Sprint contract and also actually get OS updates. I really hope the petition has some effect, but I'm afraid that only a noticeable exodus of customers and money will get Motorola's attention. Unfortunately, It seems to me that they have written customers on carriers other than Verizon off already and nothing will get them to care.

I really think that Moto has put their eggs on big red's basket and don't care about the rest. THE HELL with Motorola, I say!!!


Sent from my Photon 4G that Stupid Motorola will not upgrade to ICS or any other newer form of Android because they're a bunch of lying bastards (and deserve to go to hell!) using Android Central Forums

 

[Ry]

Yea! I hope those idiots that made the decision to leave us Photon owners on GB and not giving us open bootloaters get kicked out!

And if the new Motorola doesn't open your bootloader, has Google really changed anything for you?

 

[Slender Troll]

Sort of related, but it has to do with HTC pulling something similar to what Motorola did:

http://www.theverge.com/2012/11/12/3636092/htc-android-4-1-update-one-v-desire-c

Motorola Photon 4G

 

[STARGATE]

And if the new Motorola doesn't open your bootloader, has Google really changed anything for you?

I don't know if Google will come through for those still buying Motorola devices, but shame on them if they don't!

I'm thinking is too late for me anyway. I will be trying to get out of contract as soon as possible or ride it out until I can just say goodbye to sprint and go Nexus or something else with TMo on prepay.

Sent from my Photon 4G that Stupid Motorola will not upgrade to ICS or any other newer form of Android because they're a bunch of lying bastards (and deserve to go to hell!) using Android Central Forums

 

[geauxlsutigers]

- - - Updated - - -

1. No resources to develop and test the build. (layoffs at Motorola)
2. Sales numbers for the phone not enough to justify supporting a new version of Android.

Except the Photon sold really well, and Motorola sold a bunch of Webtop accessories to Sprint customers as well so the sales numbers definitely supported the upgrade. That's just BS.

 

[Ry]

1. No resources to develop and test the build. (layoffs at Motorola)
2. Sales numbers for the phone not enough to justify supporting a new version of Android.

Except the Photon sold really well, and Motorola sold a bunch of Webtop accessories to Sprint customers as well so the sales numbers definitely supported the upgrade. That's just BS.

Those were my guesses.

Actually, on point 1 - I do know people at were at Motorola that were working on updating previously released phones that were layed off.

On point 2, that's just really a guess. Do you have sales numbers? It might not matter if they sold well at Sprint if they didn't sell well compared to the RAZR and Bionic and DROID 4.